Fruits of first love
by Dinoman193
Summary: Kiara was not Kovu's first love. The only thing that shined in a world of perpetual darkness for the dark lion, and that love created something that would change Kovu's life.
1. Chapter 1

I woke up early that day. Of course, being chosen one, I always woke up early. A quick meal of field mice, and then it was training. Training. Training, training, and more training. That was all I ever did. I was the chosen one to the old king Scar. The rightful king, and I would fight for my family's rightful place as rulers of priderock, and kill the false king Simba.

However there was something special for me today. Her. My love, my heart. My light at the end of a long tunnel. Njama, a beautiful lioness who was my age, and my chosen queen for when I was king.

I loved her. She kept me going, as I did her. My mother, Zira, did not know of our relationship. She killed Njama's mother, and took her in, as my betrothal. We didn't need a betrothal, and I personally didn't care.

But today was particularly precious to me. 3 Months ago, we consumated our love, and now, she had given birth to the result. A daughter. A father's joy. She looked so much like me, the same brown coat, and the same green eyes.

However she looked just like her mother anywhere else, the same brown nose, the same scruffy fur. Had I been colorblind and they stood together as adults, I wouldn't tell the difference.

I walked into my love's cave, and her scruffy grey fur was reflected in the rising sun. Her beautiful brown eyes twinkled as she saw me. "Oh my love, our daughter has been born." She said in her melodic voice. It was unlike every other outlander.

Not severe, demanding, or forced, but soft, sweet, loving. I walked over, and smiled, and I saw my little girl. She was so tiny, and her small form was sleeping in her mother's arms. She sensed my presence, and her eyes opened.

Those same green eyes I had looked at me, with love, and trust. She knew I would never let anything happen to her. She also had something that enhanced her appearance, a diamond shaped mark on her forehead. "Welcome to the world, my little Almasi." I said.


	2. Chapter 2

The months passed, and my daughter grew larger and stronger each day. She was a talkative and adventurous cub. The pride treated her as they did me in the past, as the heir to the throne once I passed on. My mother however, was not the same.

She saw Almasi as a distraction, and was lightening my dark heart. She looked at the cub with disdain and hatred. I grew worried, as did Njama. One day, she went to Zira, and then something occured that I never expected.

A fight broke out, and my beautiful mate lay dead. I was there for my daughter. She wept heavily that night, and I comforted her as best I could. I would protect my little girl. Nothing would harm her.

The big day came roughly four months later. It was the day I would rescue princess Kiara, and earn my place in Simba's pride. Once he trusted me, I would kill him, and my pride would take back what was ours.

However that meant, for the first time, Almasi would be alone. "I don't want you to go!" She whimpered as she hugged my leg. I nuzzled her, doing my best to make her feel better. "I will be back soon sweetie." I reassured her. I honestly did not know when, even if, I would come back.

One false move, and I will be dead on the floor. I had no intention of getting killed, I did not want to leave her alone. While the pride accepted her and regarded her as the heir, they really did not do much more then protect her.

Nuka hated her, and avoided her, muttering that she stole the throne that was rightfully his. Vitani was the only other lion in the pride who actually cared about Almasi. She would babysit her during training, and would listen to her stories and talks, and would, sometimes, play with her.

"But...but what if you don't?" She asked, her little green eyes wide. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I couldn't tell her I might not come back. "I will, I promise my little diamond." I answered, calling her the nick name I gave her when she was born.

She looked up at me with the eyes I gave her. I hugged her and nuzzled her. "I love you Almasi." I said. "I love you to daddy!" She said.


	3. Chapter 3

Rescuing the princess went easily enough. After following her from a safe distance, I found her unconscious lying on her side. I growled frustratingly. Why save her? She was Simba's daughter, and thus my competition.

I still rescued her though, as it was my mother's plan. Once we reached safety, she began to wake up. "Where am I?" She asked tiredly. "You're safe, in the pridelands." I said, expecting her to thank me. "The pridelands... no! Why'd you bring me here? Who do you think you are?" She yelled angrily. "I think I am the one who just saved your life!" I responded in exasperation at her ungratefulness. "Look I had everything under control!" She claimed.

No wonder I had to rescue her, I thought, she couldn't even look after herself. "Not from where I am standing." I stated. "Then move downwind!" She snarled as she turned away. I blocked her, trying to make her remember what happened in our first meeting.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I made the face I made when she said play, knowing she would recognize it. "Kovu?" She asked. I smiled smuggly. "Kiara!" I heard a voice say. Simba jumped out like last time and roared at me.

"Kiara you're alright." His mother said as she ran up to nuzzle her daughter. "Father, how could you break your promise?" She asked angrily. "Its a good thing I did, I almost lost you! No more hunts for you, not ever!" Simba growled. No more hunts ever? Someone was being unreasonable.

"But I was doing fine, even before Kovu..." Kiara started. "Kovu?!" Simbaa growled at me. He roared in anger and I replied, preparing for the fight I knew was about to come. "Hey, you! How dare you save the king's daughter!" A monkey said nearby.

"You saved her? Why?" Simba asked. I smiled inwardly, now was my chance. "I humbly ask, to join your pride." I said in an actor's voice. "No! You were banished with the other outsiders!" Simba declared. Yeah I know captain obvious I wanted to say.

"I have left the outsiders. I am a rogue. Judge me now for who I am. Or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?" I asked. Simba started pacing angrily, he wanted me out, but he had no leverage to base it on.

"Simba! You owe him your daughter's life." His mate said. "Oh yes sire truly we are in his debt. And royal protocoll states that all debts be paid, though in this case you might want to make an exception." His bird advisor said.

Simba turned to me. I held my head high expecting his submission. "My father's law will prevail, for now I reserve judgement. We'll see who you really are!" He said as he walked off. I smirked at the two lionesses, who smiled back.

To easy. I thought as I walked off to follow the pride.


	4. Chapter 4

Kovu was worried. Ever since he rescued the princess, he could feel himself growing more and more reluctant to kill the king. If anything, he was slipping out of the darkness Zira had created deep in his heart because of this.

Kiara was interesting. She was pure innocent, no training, no drills, no slashes for a minor transgression. She was well fed to, and it surprised Kovu how they took two wildebeasts each day for granted.

In his old pride, this would have been a blessing. Kovu however, began to feel something he thought he never would again. That warm, fuzzy feeling you experience, when your in love. NO! No! He had to do this, to make a better life for his little girl.

"Kovu. Are you alright?" Kiara's voice asked. Kovu turned his head, and he saw she had a worried look on her face. "I...I" He couldn't find words. He then looked into those amber eyes, those eyes with the innocence he had lost long before he even met her,

He then told her everything. Everything, how he was to kill her father. How he had been training for years to do it. And.. His daughter. She was surprised, they were so young, barely 4, which in lion years is barely 20.

She would have been enraged had he not told her the threat Zira gave him. "If you fail, then you will lose that brat." Kiara was shocked. A lioness ready to kill an innocent child, and her own grand daughter.

Kovu was crying now. It was surprising to see that bad boy that rescued her brake down like this. "She'll kill her!" Kovu cried. Kiara nuzzled him in comfort, trying to be there for him. Kovu sobbed heavily, feeling like he was being pulled apart by two elephant trunks.

"Kovu, maybe there's a way we could rescue her." Kiara suggested. Kovu shook his head, Zira would have atleast 4 sentries awake at any time, and these lionesses had the training Kovu did, so it was a suicide mission, they would need probably the entire Pridelanders, and even then it would be hard, and the pride would not risk their necks for a cub from their enemy.

However as a breeze russled past, Kovu felt something shocking. His sister's scent. What was Vitani doing here? Kovu and Kiara turned and saw the thin lioness approaching, but that wasn't the only thing, she was carrying a little brown cub by the scruff. Almasi.

A/N: Sorry for the long update, I just lost internet access for a while, so I had to update late.


	5. Chapter 5

I was shocked. What was going on? Why was Vitani here? Did..."How?" I stammered. Vitani dropped my daughter, who immediatley ran to me and hugged my leg, crying. I then saw something that shocked me, she had claw marks on her back, and her ears had been torn.

"What happened?" I asked. "Zira attacked her." Vitani said, sadly. "She learned that you had not taken the opportunity to do it. Nuka, he convinced her that you were unfit to lead, and that he should lead." She continued. "She hit her, Almasi went flying, and Zira was about to... I couldn't let her do it. I couldn't let her kill another innocent cub. I couldn't let her hurt her, I made a promise that I would look after her when you left. I..." Vitani broke off, remembering the narrow escape.

"Why would Zira hurt a cub? Who would hurt their own grand daughter?" Kiara asked as she approached the siblings. Almasi hid behind her father's leg in fear. Kiara stopped hoping not to scare the little girl. Kovu gave his daughter a comforting look, telling her Kiara wouldn't hurt her. The cub relaxed a little.

"My _mother_" Vitani said the word like it was an insult. I was surprised by how much she had changed since I left. But then I remembered. I remembered _him_. Vitani must have had enough of this, had enough brainwashing and this incident made her come to her senses.

"is evil, she killed your brother, and tried to kill us becuase we were friends with him." Vitani continued, however Kiara looked surprised. "I had a brother?" She asked.

"Yes, Zira killed him." I said. Kiara looked at us in shock, Simba must have never told her. Almasi must have been traumatized by what happened, she was crying, and her face was buried in fur, hugging it for dear life.

"We need to get her help, her injuries could get infected." I said. "Do you know anyone who could help?" Vitani asked Kiara. "Yes, he is..." Kiara began. "Right here!" All four of us jumped when the baboon leapt out of the grass. "You can help us?" I asked skeptically looking at the monkey, who in my opinion seemed crazy.

"Yes old Rafiki can indeed help." Rafiki, who the monkey had identified himself as. "She should be fine, just make sure she doesn't scratch the wounds, they should heal within a few days." Rafiki said. I sighed in relief, at least she would be alright.

But I was nervous about her mental condition. A young cub going through something like this could be traumatizing, and she would need time to recover. She also needed a home where she wasn't under constant threat.

"Kiara could she?" I asked. "I don't see why not, I doubt he would turn an injured cub away." She said. "Maybe I can convince him to let you stay to." Kiara said to Vitani. Vitani was surprised by that, not even knowing the princess for five minutes and getting invited to stay. She was innocent, more then all of us here.

She had never been experienced to killing, and I envied her for that. I decided then and there that I would not fight for Zira again. Simba wasn't evil, she was. As we walked off, me carrying Almasi by the scruff, I thought about the new life that awaited us, a life free of training, of torture, of killing for training, and of starvation.


	6. Chapter 6

Simba looked at us warily. "How do I know this isn't a trick?" He growled. "Do you really think I would use my own daughter as leverage to gain your trust?" I replied. "Something your mother would do, I fell for it once before!" Simba turned his head towards my sister. "You think I helped her with that? I would never hurt him!" Vitani cried.

"Yet when he left to play with you, he goes missing, and Zira's paws are covered in blood." Simba said. "I am not my mother, and neither is my brother!" My sister growled. "Father, I know Kovu, and he told me that he truly has abandoned his mother, and apparently so has Vitani." Kiara stepped in.

"No, can't you see he's lying to you Kiara?" The king snapped at his daughter. "Get out, both of you! I will not have you corrupting my daughter again!" Simba snarled. "But my daughter, she'll die out there, she needs help." I cried. "She is a threat, just like you, get out!" Simba snarled.

I growled. The rest of the pride had heard the commotion and were approaching. "Daddy, please, can't you see his cub needs help?" Kiara said. "No, he is Scar's heir, and I will not allow him to stay." Simba said.

"She tried to kill her!" I roared. "You think that your son was the only cub she tried to kill?" Simba turned around, and looked at me, not expecting this. "I brought her here for safety, not as leverage." I growled.

Simba looked at the ground, clearly torn. "Fine, you can stay, but if you tr anything to me or my family, you're getting thrown out, cub or not." He said in a defeated voice. He began to walk back towards pride rock. I picked Almasi up, and followed.

That next morning, there shaman, a baboon named Rafiki had looked at my daughter, and had given her a healing cream made out fruit. He said to keep her inside for a few days, and make sure she doesn't try anthing rough.

I thanked him and took her back, and the pride had been perplexed by Almasi. They were surprised that I had a cub, aswell as by Vitani. They had known her before my mother was exiled. They had liked her, and according to some, felt that Simba's exile was unfair.

Vitani and Kiara became friends surprisingly quickly, probably due to Kiara's similarity to _him_. The pride quickly fell in love with Almasi; she was back to her old self that next morning, and was eager to explore this new land.

The lionesses started to trust me more due to her. They offered to watch her when I went outside with Kiara or Vitani, and they treated her like they would any other cub. I was happy about this.

"Gotcha!" Kiara cried as she jumped over my head. I ducked easily. Another hunting lesson, and Kiara was proving exceptionally difficult to teach. She always made to much noise, and announced her attack as she jumped. Vitani smirked at this. She was watching us, and was obviously amused how one lioness could be this bad at hunting.

Her father obviously never taught her, thinking she would get hurt, and it showed. "You're still breathing to hard! Relax, feel the earth under your paws so it doesn't shift and make noise." I instructed.

I heard something, and crouched down. "Watch the master, and learn!" I said. I leapt over a hill and right into Timon, the king's meerkat friend. How he became friends with a meerkat, I'll never know.

"AAAAA! Don't eat me, I never really met your tyrant! Scar! Oh a heck of a guy, a little moody..." He started. "Timon! What are you doing here?" Kiara asked angrily as she and Vitani walked down.

"Kiara, oh thank goodness. For once we're not following ya, this just happens to be the best hunting spot in the pridelands. Bugs everywhere! But if you don't call for a reservation... Get out of here you scavengers! Come on move it!" Timon walked up to a nearby bird. The bird promptly pecked his nose.

Pumbaa, Timon's warthog friend was running at a group of birds. They just flew out of the way and landed behind him everytime. I giggled at the sight. "Oh Timon, I'm getting tired, I gotta lose some pounds." Pumbaa said, though it was probably the fact that the entire flock was resting on his back that he was tired.

"Hey maybe he can help!" Pumbaa said as he pointed to me. "Oh sure, let the vicious outsider...wait! What if he helps?" Timon replied. Didn't Pumbaa just say that? "Hey, roar, work with me?" I was confused. "Like this!" Kiara said and let out a roar I was surprised was possible from her.

"Woah do it again! Do it again!" Timon laughed. I realized what she was talking about, and roared. Kiara raced off, and I followed. "Why are we doing this? What's the point of this training?" Vitani asked. I looked behind me, she was running with us. "Training? This is just for fun!" Kiara laughed.

"Fun?" I asked. Kiara laughed. "Sheesh! You gotta get out more often, fun! Yeehah!" Timon laughed. "Yeehah!" I said. All five of us were laughing now. As we rounded a corner, we almost crashed right into a herd of Rhinos. We skidded to a stop, and Timon accidentally hit a rhino.

We ran. Screaming half heartedly as we ran back the way we came. But we hid in a crevice, and the rhinos ran right past. Once they were gone, we laughed again. "What a blast!" I laughed. "Oh, sorry!" Pumbaa said.

After some more laughing, we all struggled out, and to my surprise, me and Kiara's muzzles touched. We stopped, and I gave her an embarassed look. "Hey you two coming?" Vitani called. We walked out, though I couldn't shake the fuzzy feeling I had. I had it once before. When I was with Njama.


End file.
